Thursday, January 20, 2011

Independent voter's take on Healthcare Reform

There are two politically-active people in my neighborhood whom I really trust and appreciate. This letter is from one of them.

Begin forwarded message:

Before responding to Guthrie's survey on healthcare reform, you may be interested in reading this. It was sent to me by an independent voter.

The vote is in. You now know who is for corporate interests (anti-American people) and who is for the people. All Republicans and 3 democrats voted to remove the following benefits from the American people.

•Insurers are prohibited from taking away your coverage based on an unintentional mistake on an application

•Families are protected from having their coverage capped by lifetime dollar limits on benefits if someone is in an accident or becomes sick

•Insurers are required to spend at least 80% of your premium dollars on health care and quality improvement, instead of insurance company administrative costs, big salaries, or marketing

•Insurers must submit premium rate increases of 10% or higher to states (and in some cases the federal government) to determine whether they are reasonable

•Insurers can no longer deny coverage to children who have pre-existing conditions ranging from cancer to asthma

•Parents can keep children under the age of 26 as dependents on their plan, if they do not have coverage of their own

•Small business owners can better compete by providing tax credits and by increasing their purchasing power through competitive private health insurance Exchanges

•The life of the Medicare Trust fund will be extended to at least 2029, a 12-year extension as a result of reducing waste, fraud and abuse, and slowing cost growth in Medicare. This will provide you with future cost savings on your premiums and coinsurance.

•Medicare will take strong action to reduce payment errors, waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare. The President has made a commitment to reduce Medicare fraud 50 percent by 2012. The Affordable Care Act makes an historic, ten-year, $350 million investment to prevent, detect and fight fraud in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program—including criminal efforts to exploit the new law. Visit Stop Medicare Fraud for more information.

•In 2011, if you hit the prescription drug donut hole, you will get a 50% discount on brand-name drugs. Every year after, you will pay less for your prescription drugs in the donut hole until there's complete coverage of the donut hole in 2020. Between now and then, you will get continuous Medicare coverage for your prescription drugs.

•The coordination of care between doctors and the overall quality of care will improve so that you will be less likely to experience preventable and harmful re-admissions to the hospital for the same condition.

•Hospitals will have new, strong incentives to improve your quality of care.

•Starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act offers additional protections for Medicare Advantage Plan members by taking strong steps that limit the amount these plans spend on administrative costs, insurance company profits, and things other than health care.

•Starting in 2014 if your employer doesn't offer insurance, you will be able to buy insurance directly in an Exchange -- a new transparent and competitive insurance marketplace where individuals and small businesses can buy affordable and qualified health benefit plans. Exchanges will offer you a choice of health plans that meet certain benefits and cost standards. Starting in 2014, Members of Congress will be getting their health care insurance through Exchanges, and you will be able buy your insurance through Exchanges too.

•Reduction of $138 billion in the federal deficit over a 10 year peroid, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It will cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the second ten year period. Repealing the act will increase the federal deficit by $230 billion over 10 years.

•And much more. Email me if you want more...

Only 18% of the American people favored repeal of the Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act. And the Republican party is trying to repeal it. What is wrong with this picture? And to think we Americans gave the party of hate, hostility, fear, greed and deceit ideology the control of the House. What does this tell us about Americans? Are we totally oblivious of what is going on in America? The Republicans just voted to end your health care rights but to keep the same benefits for themselves. Are we nuts?

Why would Americans favor a party or ideology that is against humanitarian causes? The Republican party is against humanitarian causes. They prove it time and time again. They are against those that are not extremely wealthy and expect the remainder of Americans to serve their needs. They voted no to health care for Americans, but get to keep their government health care. Voted to not extend unemployment benefits for those in need. Voted no to Wall Street Reform. Voted no to the Consumer Protection Act. They voted no to saving jobs for policemen, firemen and teachers. They forced big tax cuts for the billionaires (causing tremendous debt), using tax cuts for the middle class as hostage.

I can go on and on with their anti-American actions. It is so easy to understand their motive and for the sake of me I can't understand how they get any support from a kind and decent American. Well, yes I can. It's money, I got mine and screw you attitude and many Americans are just uninformed.

Please tell me where I am wrong. I would love to be wrong. If you can't tell me where I am wrong, remember to vote every congress person out of office that voted for the repeal of the Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act whether Democrat or Republican. I will not forget.

Repeal of the Patient Protections And Affordable Care Act will not be repealed. It will not get by the Senate and our President would veto it anyway, but you must remember this House vote in the election of 2012. Always be for the people.